Adjustable journal-box.



PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

P. E. BUXTON. ADJUSTABLE JOURNAL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31,1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FEBuxLTm 1N VENT 0R.

WITNESSES ATTORNEKS PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907' F. E. BUXTON. ADJUSTABLE JOURNAL BOX.

1N VENT OR A TTORNEKS EEBwae an N n d r WITNESSES.-

I THE NORRIS PETENS C0 WASHINGTON D C PATENTED JUNE 25; 1907.

F. E. BUXTON; ADJUSTABLE JOURNAL BOX. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 FIEBuaELEn.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS PATENTED JUNE 25, 1907.

' P. E. BUXTON. ADJUSTABLE JOURNAL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1906.

4 SHEETSS1IEET i.

FRANCIS ELLSWORTH BUXTON, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

ADJUSTABLE JOURNAL=BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1907.

Application filed January 31, 1906. Serial No. 298,869.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnANors ELLSWORTH BUxToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Connersville, in the county of Fayette and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Journal-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This is an improvement in adjustable journal boxes, the object of the invention being to provide a box in which the bearings can be adjusted toward or away from the shaft, in which the bearings are rotatable with reference to the shaft, and which can be repaired or replaced without the necessity of jacking up the shaft.

The bearings formed in two rigid parts and held permanently in place are the source of considerable trouble and in the quarter boxes in use, adjustment is difficult and as the bot.- tom quarter is held permanently under the lower side of the shaft it is exposed to more wear than the side and upper quarters and consequently requires a thicker Babbitt lining than would otherwise be the case, thereby increasing the extent of the bearing. Both of these types, that is the two and four-part bearings are wasteful with oil and in case of repair it is necessary to jack up the shaftin order to remove the parts of the journal box.

My invention consists of the novel features of construction hereinafter fully described,

pointed out in the claims and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is an end view showing the upper half in elevation, parts of the same being broken away to show a worm and gear in connection, and the lower half showing a quarter in section' Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my box, the outer casing being removed from the upper half and the lower portion being shown in section, the outer casing being outlined in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the end plates, a portion being broken away to show a portion of a ring and spring. Fig. 4 is a detail end view of the quarters and connecting parts removed from the casings. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the quarters. Figs. 6 and 7 are edge elevations of an oil ring retainer and a spacer ring respectively. Fig. 8is an end view of a boxing partially broken away and showing parts in section, and illustrating a modification in the construction of the quarters. Fig. 9 is a side view showing the upper half in elevation, the outer casing being broken away and the lower half in section. Fig. 10 is an end view of the quarters shown in-Fig. 8 and illustrating the parts assembled. Fig. 11 is a plan view of the journal box. Fig. 12 is an end elevation, parts being in section showing the application of my idea to a bearing formed of three parts instead of four Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section through the bearing shown in Fig. 12, the shaft and brackets being shown in elevation. Fig. 14 is an enlarged plan view of a portion of a sleeve. Fig. 15 is an end view of said sleeve, the portion only being shown. Fig. 16 is a section on the line 1616 taken through Figs. 14 and 15. Fig. 17 is an enlarged end view of portions of adjacent quarters.

In these drawings, A represents an outer cylindrical, casing, in which is arranged intermediate its ends and transversely a rotatable worm A, which worm is adapted to be rotated by means of any suitable tool. One end portion of the casing A is formed with interior threads and an inner casing or sleeve B, has its circumference threaded adjacent one end to engage the threads formed in the casing A. B is provided with a gear B adapted to mesh with the worm A of the outer casing A; It will be obvious from this construction that when the worm A is rotated the inner sleeve B will also rotate and at the same time will have a longitudinal movement within the casing A by reason of the engagement of the threaded portions, the direction of such movement depending upon the direction of rotation of the worm A.

Upon the inner face of the sleeve B, I preferably form four inwardly projecting shoulders B extendinglengthwise of the sleeve and spaced substantially ninety degrees apart. The sleeve B has an interior diameter considerably larger than the diameter of the shaft to be supported and within the sleeve B are arranged quarter bearings C, slightly spaced apart and which are cut away and beveled adjacent their side margins. These quarters 0 rest within the sleeve B between the shoulders B Each of the said shoulders rests between and bears upon the cut outand beveled marginal portions of two of the quarters C. Each quarter C is spaced slightly from the adjacent quarter and a packing of any suitable material is arranged within the sleeve B and between the said quarters. The shoulders B are wider and higher at one end of the sleeve B than at the Intermediate its ends the sleeve other, being wedge-shaped in outline and the cutout portions of the quarters C are cut on lines at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the said quarter so that when the quarters are assembled together within the sleeve B, a series ofwedge-sh aped grooves are presented within which the shoulders B rest and along which these shoulders move when the sleeve B is rotated by means of the worm A, and gear B.

Adjacent the ends of the quarters C, are formed alining grooves C adapted to receive a cut-spring ring G which ring is held in position by means of a pin 0 secured to one of the quarters O. The ends of the boxes are closed by end caps D, which caps fit against the ends of the casing A and are provided with an annular interior shoulder D, which is threaded to engage threads upon the inte rior of the casing A. The inner edges of the caps D are grooved as shown at D and within said grooves are placed oil retainer split rings D which are held in close engagement with a shaft F by means of springs D arranged in the grooves D and bearing upon the rings D Suitable oil openings are shown at E, which openings conduct oil to the packing material E arranged between the quarters C.

It will be obvious from the drawings and the above description that rotation of the inner sleeve B will also rotate the quarters 0 about the shaft F so that the position of said quarters with references to the lower side of the shaft can be changed, and it will also be obvious that movement of the sleeve B longitudinally will force the quarters tighter against the shaft F or will release pressure upon the quarters and allow them to open according to the direction of rotation of the worm A.

In Figs. 8, 9 and 10 I have illustrated a modification in which I have shown an inner sleeve G, provided like the sleeve B with a gear G which meshes with the worm A in the same manner. The sleeve G however, is provided with longitudinal wedge-shaped grooves G inplace of the shoulders B Quarters J are provided with longitudinal shoulders J formed upon their concaved sides and substantially along the longitudinal center of the quarters, which shoulders are adapted to rest within the wedge-shaped grooves G of the sleeve G. The quarters J are also spaced apart but along one edge of each quarter is an over-hanging flange J which laps slightly over the unflanged edge of the adjacent quarter. In other respects, the construction of the longitudinal bearings are substantially the same and the same parts are used in connection with both forms.

In Figs. 12 and 13 I have shown a slight modification of a journal box constructed substantially like the former box and in which K represents the outer casing, K a

worm, K a rotatable inner sleeve, K a gear formed thereon to mesh with the worm K and K inwardly projecting shoulders similar to those shown at B upon the sleeve B. The inner bearings arranged within the sleeve or inner casing K are constructed in all respects like the quarters shown at C, being cut away along their longitudinal edges, so that when assembled, depressions are formed within which the shoulders K work. The only substantial difference lies in the fact that only three shoulders K are formed and, the bearing is divided into three segments instead of into the four quarters as shown in Fig. 4. In other respects the bearings shown in Figs. 12 and 13 are constructed like the preferred form of bearing shown in F ig. 1 to 7.

The operation of all of the forms is substantially the same and the same result is accomplished, the modified forms of construc tion being designed mainly for use with lighter machinery.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A journal box of the land described comprising a fixed casing, a rotatable sleeve arranged within the casing, means for simultaneously rotating the sleeve and moving it longitudinally within the casing, and a plurality of bearing blocks arranged within the sleeve and rotatable therewith, the said sleeve moving longitudinally with respect to the bearing blocks and forcing them into engagement with a shaft during movement in one direction.

2. The combination with a fixed casing, a

worm carried thereby, a rotatable sleeve, said sleeve being within the casing, there being a gear formed in the sleeve adapted to mesh with the worm, segmental bearing blocks held within the sleeve, said sleeve being adapted to move longitudinally with respect to both the casing and the bearing blocks, the said sleeve interlocking with the bearing blocks and rotating them during rotation of the sleeve and forcing them against a shaft when the sleeve is moved longitudinally in one direction.

3. An adjustable journal box comprising a plurality of segments adjustable with respect to each other and to a shaft, a rotatable sleeve inclosing said bearing blocks, the said sleeve being movable longitudinally with respect to the blocks and engaging said blocks and forcing them against a shaft during said movement in one direction, a casing inclosing the rotatable sleeve, and means carried by the casing for rotating the sleeve, there being means for advancing the sleeve longitudinally within the casing during its rotation.

4. An adjustable journal box comprising a fixed outer casing having an interior threaded portion, a worm carried by said casing, a

IIO

sleeve rotatably held in the casing, and having a threaded portion engaging that of the casing, there being a gear carried by the sleeve in engagement with the Worm, a plurality of bearing segments arranged Within the sleeve, there being means for forcing said segments against a shaft, When the sleeve is rotated in one direction, the said bearing seg ments and sleeve interlocking thereby revolving the segments about the shaft during rotation of the sleeve.

5. An adjustable journal boX comprising a casing, a rotatable sleeve held therein, there being Wedge-shaped longitudinal shoulders formed Within said sleeve, and a plurality of bearing segments arranged Within the sleeve between the said shoulders, the said bearing segments being cut away along their'marginal edges, to receive the said shoulders between the said segments, the said segments rotating with the sleeve and the sleeve having longitudinal movement With respect to the segments, there' being means for imparting a longitudinal movement to the sleeve, and means carried by the casing for rotating the said sleeve.

FRANCIS ELLSWORTH BUXTON. Witnesses:

A. L. HERSHEY, J. L. HERSHEY. 

